In case you missed it, Holden resident and dentist Dr. Thomas Mulroy was on a recent episode of popular game show, Family Feud. The local dentist and his family drilled their opponents on their first episode which aired on Nov. 15, taking home a prize of $20,000: money they will use to fund a trip to Italy for their parent’s 50th anniversary.

“We just want to give this back to [our parents],” said the Manchester, Vermont native who comes from a family of eight. “They did everything for us growing up.”

The rowdy half-Irish half-Italian bunch were a perfect match for the game show where two families compete to name the most popular responses to survey questions in order to win cash and prizes. Mulroy, along with his brother, long-time Holden resident Paul Mulroy, sister Rosemary Simeone, brother Brian Mulroy, and father Daniel Mulroy were all participants on the show with additional family members and relatives in the studio audience.

Simeone coordinated the auditions which started in Boston about a year ago, said Tom. The process consisted of a series of mock game shows viewed by producers and staff. Shortly after their audition in Boston, the Mulroy family received a letter inviting them to a second round casting call in Atlanta, Georgia. The game show organization covered the cost of the flight, hotel and in-studio food for contestants.

Although it was not guaranteed the Mulroys would be chosen when they arrived in Atlanta, they went through a rehearsal and were then sent straight to taping their first episode.

Behind the scenes, Tom said he and his family members were coached on the “how tos” of being on TV before filming started.

In the audience, family members, including Tom’s wife Stephanie Mulroy, were told to be as interactive and loud as possible.

“It was a really cool experience from the backstage and behind the scenes view,” said Stephanie, adding that when cameras stop rolling, TV host Steve Harvey puts on quite the comedy routine, only some of which makes it into the TV version.

At one point they were asked the survey question “What does Tom Brady have that you want?” The Mulroy team didn’t disappoint with their four winning answers: A job as a professional football player, lots of money, a supermodel wife, and (of course the question Tom answered right) Tom Brady’s smile.

After they aced the first episode and won $20,000, they moved on to the second round and started filming another episode which they ended up losing at the very end. After a full day of filming and $20,000 to take home the family left pleased with the outcome.

“The whole experience was really fun,” said Paul. “The game wasn’t even the best part, it was just the experience of being there with our family.”

For Tom, the opportunity offered a break from his normal routine.

“I get caught up in my daily life and this is just something that brought me out of that,” said Tom. “It is a very unique once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

After seeing himself and his family on TV, Tom said he heard from multiple patients who spotted him on the show. “One patient even asked me to sign her bib,” he added noting that his kids were asked in school if their Dad was famous and even their contractor said he saw them on the show.

“It is a memory that will last forever,” said Tom. “It was so much fun. We got to meet Steve Harvey of course and it is another memory I made with my family. We also got to travel to Atlanta, had fun doing it, and we won $20,000!”